MARKET STABILITY? ESTEPONA RISES WHILE MARBELLA, BENAHAVÍS, AND MIJAS SALES FALL

The latest sales figures from the fourth quarter of 2025 recently published confirm the Costa del Sol property market is changing pace. The exceptional momentum of recent years is easing, but this should not be mistaken for weak-ness. Instead, we are seeing a gradual return to a more balanced market where buyers remain ac-tive but are highly selective.

1. Marbella and Benahavís are slowing, while Estepona advances. The four municipalities are no longer moving together. Marbella recorded a 7.8% drop in homes sold compared with 2024, while Benahavís fell by 11.0% and Mijas by 16.1%. Estepona, however, moved the other way, rising 9.7%. This proves there is no single Costa del Sol market anymore; micro-local dynamics dictate performance.

2. Affordability is only half the story as product mix is key. If price point alone dictated the market, the numbers would look diferent. Mijas, the most accessible area at an average €360,043, saw the sharpest drop. Estepona, averaging €414,976, surged. Why?Estepona is heavily buoyed by a wave of new-build completions from past contracts finally hitting the Notary. Mijas, conversely, is behaving like a traditional resale market feeling a natural cooling. In higher-end markets like Marbella €734,425) and Benahavís (€939,770), buyers are simply taking more time, carefully comparing luxury resales against a few shiny new-build alternatives.

3. The market still looks strong in historical terms. Despite the recent slowdown, all four municipalities remain well above their 20-year average for sales. The boom years created an unusually high benchmark. Today’s activity repre-sents a healthier, more sustainable rhythm rather than a worrying contraction.

In this complex environment, strategy matters. For homeowners in Marbella and Benahavís, success depends more than ever on expert pricing, strong positioning, and deep market insight. It is the pre-cise difference between merely sitting on the market and success-fully getting sold.

MARBELLA AND BENAHAVIS BETWEEN 500K€ AND 2M€: WHAT KIND OF LIFE CAN YOU HAVE HERE?

As we live every day in this real estate world, we talk a lot about market statistics and prices, but for most of our clients the real question is much simpler: What kind of life can I have here with my budget?

In these ranges, when you know the area and are clear about what you want, the answer is not same for any budget and the article explains what kind of life each level from 500 k€ to 2 M€ euros allows on the Costa.

At the lower range of this bracket, around 500 k€ to 800 k€, buyers are usually choosing between a good apartment or townhouse in a well located community and a more basic villa that may need updating. You can be close to services, in a pleasant urbanization, perhaps with a shared pool and some sea or garden views. Daily life is convenient: schools, supermarkets, sports and restaurants are all within a short drive. What you may compromise on is plot size, absolute privacy or the “wow” view.

As you move towards 1 M€ and even a little higher, the conversation changes. In many areas you can find a solid detached villa with its own garden and pool, often with better orientation, more light and clearer views. The difference is not only in meters, but in how the property feels when you arrive: more space around you, more flexible layouts, room for guests and family to visit comfortably. For many buyers in this range, that is when the property begins to feel like a long-term home rather than just a holiday base.

Between 1,5 M€ and 2 M€, quality and micro-location become more visible. You are closer to the better streets within a given area, with easier access, quieter surroundings and more established neighbors. You may not be in the most famous gated communities, but you are often one or two steps below them in price, with a similar sense of calm and security.

The point is that the same budget can buy very differ-ent lives, depending on where you focus: closer to the beach or in the hills, more square meters or a better street, something ready to live in or a home with poten-tial. The most useful first step is not to chase the largest house on paper, but to be honest about how you want to live day to day. Once that is clear, it becomes much easier to see which areas and which homes truly match your life not just your budget.

Not every location is for everyone but we have many locations and lives to choose from and that is the beauty of our Costa del Sol.

THE MARKET REALITY IN MARBELLA & BENAHAVÍS: WHY SOME HOMES SELL AND OTHERS SIT

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To understand the Marbella and Benahavís markets today, we must look at the balance be-tween available homes and actual sales. The market has adopted a more deliberate rhythm, where "velocity" depends heavily on prop-erty type and strategic positioning.

1. The Speed of Apartment Sales. The apartment sector is currently the market’s true engine. The data is striking: in Marbella, 106.9% of active inventory sold within a year, while Benahavís saw 73.6%. This turnover is nearly three times the rate of villas, showing that buyers are acting quickly on modern, easy -to-manage luxury living spaces that fit their current lifestyle.

2. The Illusion of Choice in Villas. For villas, the situation is different. It might look like buyers have end-less choices, but this is often an "illusion." The actual sales numbers are much lower: only 29.0% of villas sold in Marbella and 17.8% in Benahavís last year. This gap means many villas are simply sitting on the market. In this selective envi-ronment, if a price isn't realistic, serious buyers will simply move on.

3. The Trap of Overpricing. Many properties remain stagnant be-cause of a common mistake: over-pricing. When a home is priced correctly, it usually sells close to its asking price. However, overpriced homes never reach the negotiation table as they become "invisible." Success requires a precise strategy to avoid being part of the majority that fails to sell within a year.

In summary, the market has en-tered a "sustainable rhythm." While apartments move faster, the low percentage of annual villa sales highlights the need for pro-fessional positioning. For owners, the goal is ensuring a property is priced to move, not just to be listed.